Christian Fuller Offers Insights on Multi-Channel Marketing at J.D. Power

Christian Fuller
offers insights on multi-channel marketing at J.D. Power

What’s the key to successful multi-channel marketing? That’s
one question Search Optics chief relationship officer Christian Fuller addressed
at the J.D. Power Automotive Roundtable—the automotive industry’s leading
marketing event. Fuller joined more than 1,400 marketing professionals in Las
Vegas last month to exchange ideas and discuss the latest industry trends.

Fuller took part in a panel titled “From Awareness
to Purchase: The Journey of Auto Shoppers & Multi-Channel Experience,”
along with Opera Mediaworks vice president Nadine Jarrard and Drawbridge founder
and CEO Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan. Moderated by Audi marketing analytics and
consumer insights manager Scott Martino, the panel discussed the influence of
mobile as part of the car shopping experience, as well as the importance of
measurement with all platforms.

Fuller kicked off the panel by noting that nearly
70 percent of visitors who come to automotive dealer websites are using a
mobile device. Additionally, he pointed out that shoppers’ attention spans are
shorter than ever. For Fuller, those observations indicate that a key concern
for digital marketers—today and in the future—is not only how to attract users’
attention, but how to do it quickly in order to convert them.

The panelists went on to discuss the challenges
of measurement as consumers increasingly turn to multiple devices throughout
the car shopping process. “There is absolutely no walking away from
cross-device,” Sivaramakrishnan said, noting that more than 75 percent of
in-market automotive shoppers now utilize two or more devices during their
shopping journey. Additionally, consumers tend to rely on different devices at
different stages of their shopping process—laptop or desktop computers for
initial research and mobile devices as they near their final purchase decision.

It’s critical for digital marketers to understand
these shifts in consumer behavior and adjust their strategies accordingly. Fuller
advised marketers to hook consumers with rich content, such as vehicle
comparison data. Then, to generate quality leads, marketers should follow up
with search and display retargeting with offers related to the content users
been viewing.

Additionally, the panelists discussed the need to
tailor communication and measurement strategies to specific platforms and
devices. “The mobile consumer journey is much, much different than TV,” Jarrard
said. “It’s really different than any other format and platform.” As a result,
digital marketers should keep certain parameters in mind when developing
content for mobile. For example, videos should feature large fonts and include
lots of close-up shots of subjects—and they should not depend heavily on sound
(since not all mobile video platforms offer audio features).

As the discussion wrapped up, Fuller summarized a
key takeaway for any auto dealer who may be wondering how to leverage the panelists’
insights. A strong digital marketing strategy is about “taking it back to what
actually matters—and that’s generating a lead,” he said.

To learn more about strategies for better lead
generation, click here.